St. Landry democrat., 1887-03-19
CHAPTER II.


Lady Valworth had beer rather glad to
avail herself Of Sir Thomas suggestion
to spend few weeks in town with her
sister, Mrs. 3rand-a fashionable woman
of the worli with very kindly heart,
who, childless herself, had adopted the
daughter of a dead sister, now charm
ing girl Of seventeen, and engaged to
Grant Boyle, her cousin. She ls how
ever, hardly to be regarded as voure
latIy fairly launched upon the world, as
size is still undergoing a course of study
with various masters, and reading in
German three times q week with a gov
erness--a girl Of about her own a:sa. who
had lived so much abroad as to De an al
most naturalZed PrusSian.
Nadine Roche counted herself lucky
when she sought and found employment
in the home of Mrs. Brand. Sh.. had
drunk sufficiently deep Of the waters If
affection to be almost on the borders of
despai:, when Fate, who is not always
unllinl, shuntel her on to the line that
led to- at least, glimpse of prosperity.
Her pupil blossomed into her friend.
Mrs Brand took special fancy to her.
Her feet seemed 10 have dropped into the
primrose way, aud she felt at last, poor
little soul, that she could lift her head to
heaven with the firm assurance that she
could walk, without fear OF falling, upon
the earth beneath.
Her pupil Millicent Grey, is almost as
pretty as she is, if not quite. A tall,
stately girl with fringed lids, from VI hich
the brown eyes look out as If in wonder
ment at the world outside. and soft sleek
hair of a dark shade, that contrasts
oddly with her retrousse nose, and that
is so altogether put in the shade By the
charming Grecian feature that distin-
guishes her governess. To many people,
indeed, Naline'S merry mouth, and fair
dancing locks. and eyes blue as cav
erned sea, would have had their objec-
tons: but the child herself is 80 sweet, 50
gay, SO suggestive of all things good and
pure, that it would be impossible to re-
gard her in any light except kindly
one.
With only the memory OF a dear father
who had been a general in the Pru5sian
army, although en- Englishman-and q
mother, very dear, but very dependent,
to sustain her, Nadine, up to her connec-
tion with Mrs. Brand had been com
PEELED to look at life through anything
but rose colored spectacles. And Of late
chance of still surer escape from her
dreary surroundings has suggested itself
to her. Into her life chow. she hardly
knew a young man has fallen, who,
while declaring his love for her, has at
the same time repelled her almost as
much as he attracts her. There had
been a slight touch of romance in the
manner of their meeting, but yet nothing
very worthy Of comment. A duh Janu-
ary night. ignorant of stars-a crowded
crossing-a young man who had kindly
come to her rescue in the absence OF the
necessary policeman, and who had piloted
her across, through tho tangled mass of
vehicles, and landed her safely ON the
pavement at the other side. He had
laughed aside her thanks. and when she
had insisted on them. had demanded
largesse in the shape Of permission to es-
cort her to her home. 1.-THE night was
so dark, SO stormy, so destitute of com
fort in any form, and she was so eVi
IDENTIFY timid about the conquering of
those terrible r1lbcons, the crossings, and
he was SO entirely master of his time for
the next four hours"
1t hardly took him one, however, to
guide her TO her home. She had steadily
declined his offer of cabs or hansoms,
but had felt it ungracious to refuse him
further when he said he would traverse
the distance with her on foot. In truth,
she had been glad of his escort, and not
altogether blind to the beauty of his face;
and yet, as | have said. there was re-
pulsion as well as fascination even then
in her feelings toward him.
There was one other thing that puz-
zled her. Had she seen him before?
Those marked features, those soft bril-
liant eyes-were they familiar? 1t seemed
to her that somewhere in the rather i'm
mediate past she had seen him; but yet
when he so kindly came to her aid on
that crossing, just as she left Mrs.
Brands house, she could not connect him
with any place or period, and after
while felt that her imagination had
played her false in the matter.
When he had taken her home that
night he had stood lingeringly upon the
door step, until at last, in an uncertain
way, half reluctant, half longing, half
desirous of his departure, half eager to
show some gratitude to one who had
been SO courteously kind, she had asked
him to come in and let her make him
known to her mother. The invitation
was accepted with alacrity. Mrs. Roche,
q gentle. tender voiced woman, receiyed